Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill recently voiced her disappointment at plans under consideration by BBC NI to discontinue Farmgate. The Minister said she has written to the corporation outlining her view that Farmgate provides an essential service to the north’s large agriculture and rural community.
She said: “It is very clear that Farmgate is important listening to our farming community. Because it offers a brief one-stop synopsis of the need-to-know agriculture issues of the day, Farmgate has forged a strong connection with its unique and significant audience. These short packages are both informative for the farmer and challenging to authority. No other broadcast organisation provides this service to both the local agriculture community, and the wider public, and its loss will be keenly felt by its listeners.”
The Minister said she was concerned that the BBC, in changing its approach to covering agriculture, agri-food industry and rural affairs, was running the risk of overlooking an important audience.
She added: “While I understand the desire to change and develop its coverage, I do not comprehend how this move necessitates the ending of Farmgate, which currently provides an informative service to the rural community and the general public.”
